How It Started
by emilee.foley
Summary: Emma Conrad had an awesome life. A happy family, and great friends. But in five minutes, it turned. Now in Salt Lake City, how can she survive without anyone? Rated T for some language (not really bad stuff)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I sat upside down on the couch with my feet over top the top. I saw a pair of shoes and jeans walk in front of me.

"Hey," the voice said.

"What up?" I asked. My brother Billy sat beside me. He shook his head.

"You shouldn't watch this." He said, as I watched The Jetsons, which was intended for ages 4 to 10. And I was sitting here, 13 years old.

"Bite my shiny metal ass." I said sticking my tongue out at him.

"Make me." He said with a smirk. The phone buzzed below my head. I tried to pick it up, but fell off the couch in the process.

"God damn!" I exclaimed. I picked up the phone, pulled the antenna up and hit the talk button.

"Yo?" I said, sitting up.

"Emmaline? It's me." My friend Vanessa said into the phone.

"What's wrong with the boys now?" I said.

"Well," She said.

"Van?" I said, agitated. I knew something was up. That was just me.

"It's about you." She said.

"Yeah? What do I not know about myself?" I said, now something was definitely wrong.

"Well, your parents didn't want to tell you but," She paused. "You're moving." Was all I heard.

"What?!" I screamed. I smashed my finger on the end button and tossed the phone onto the cushiony chair.

"What's wrong?" Billy asked.

"We're moving." I said and lay down across the couch. He sighed.

"I'm gonna order a pizza, to seal the pain of this." Billy said. He got up and dialed the Dan & Alex's Pizza number into the phone.

"Hello? Yeah. Can I get a 16 inch pepperoni pizza with bacon? Delivery please. Thanks." He said and hung up. He sat down next to me in the recliner chair. I flipped on the tv again and returned to my program.

I could not believe that my mom and dad had thought to not tell Billy or me about moving? Why would they keep that huge secret from us? I mean, I'm 13 years old, and Billy's 15, we should have heard it from the mouths of them at least, and not our friend.

About 10 minutes later, a knock came from the door and Billy opened it. The pizza delivery guy gave him the pizza and Billy paid him. He ran to his car and jetted off.

"Well someone's in a hurry." Billy said as he kicked the door closed with the ankle of his shoe. He set the pizza box on the floor and we dug in.

I loved Billy, he was my brother, I kind of had to, but I actually did love him. He's always been there for me whenever I needed him. Especially at this time of our lives.

"Turn up the volume." Billy said. I reached for the remote as our parents walked in the door. We stood up and looked at them, our arms crossed.

"Hey guys. How was your weekend? Did you have fun?" Our mom asked. I tapped my foot and Billy lifted an eyebrow. Our dad cocked his head.

"What's wrong kids?" He asked.

"We know Dad." I said.

"About what?"

"Moving." Billy said. Our parents sighed.

"Right, that." Mom said. She motioned us towards the couch, sitting us down.

"Billy, Em, we've been talking about this for quite some time, and we decided, we're moving to Salt Lake City, Utah." Dad said.

"Utah?!" We screamed at the same time. At that point, I was about to explode.

"Dad, that's halfway across the country!" Billy said.

"Why in the heck are we moving to that hell hole?" I exclaimed.

"Emma Jensen Conrad!" Mom said.

"I'm expressing myself! Jesus!" I said, got up, and stormed into my room. I heard footsteps coming down the hall. My dad opened the door and poked his head in.

"Em?" He said. "Can I come in?"

"Not my house." I said. I put my pillow over my head. He sat down beside me.

"Sweetheart, the reason we're moving is," He said. "I got offered a really good paying job there and it was either, moving there for 95% of the year there by myself, or move there permanently with you guys. And I just couldn't leave you guys." We sat in silence.

"Em?"

"Yeah?" I said.

"You forgive me, right?" He asked. My dad was such a softie sometimes.

"I might as well." I said and lifted the pillow off my face. I realized that he had brought the remainder of the pizza in with him. I grabbed the remote for my tv and flipped on Mighty Mouse.

"Dad, do you think Mighty Mouse could kill a person if he tried?" I said whilst I ate my pizza.

"Sure, but they wouldn't put it on tv, cause kids'd be scarred for life." He replied. It was a logical answer.

I hoped that Utah would be nice. I hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Mom, why is it that we have to _drive _all the way from here to Salt Lake City in piss-pouring rain?" I asked, carrying a cardboard box, stuffed with movies and books, out to our 1962 Corvair Station Wagon. "It doesn't seem very productive."

"Because the earlier we leave, the more time we have to bond on the road!" My mother said from behind me. She was carrying her purse, which was recently emptied, and now contained only the car keys, her wallet, and a shitload of peanut butter sandwiches. I slid my box into the trunk and slammed it shut. I ran over to the door and proceeded to get in, but was ambushed.

"Don't leave us Emma! Please! We beg of you!" I heard Vanessa say. I coughed out the dust from my back hitting the dirt road.

"We have to be with boys, and we _need _your advice!" My other friend Sarah wailed. I don't know why, but I started laughing.

"Guys, I'll come back sometimes. I have family here. I'll see you guys every Christmas. But remember one thing, Sarah, Luke likes you and you should ask him out. And you, Vanessa, ask out Alex already, I've told you those words of wisdom for quite some time now. Now, with that, don't do anything that _I _wouldsay no to." I said. They got up, contained themselves, and hugged me.

"Bye." They said, as they turned and walked down the street.

"Bye!" I screamed. I got in the car and off we went.

"Mom, just how long does it take to get to Salt Lake City?" Billy asked.

"About half a day." Mom said, putting the key into the ignition.

"Well," I said, putting my sunglasses on and kicking my black Converse All Star High Tops on the back of my dad's seat. "I might as well make the best of it." I propped myself so that I was comfortable and tried to sleep, which was _impossible. _All my parents did was sing along to the radio. And I don't mean to be rude, but, they sucked.

"Lollipop, lollipop oh loli loli loli lolipop!" They sang. Billy made a popping sound with his mouth and I put my fingers in my ears.

"Make it stop!" I whined, yet they didn't hear me in the slightest. "It hurts!"

"You just don't know quality music." Billy said, playfully punching my arm.

"Sweet Jesus." I said. I stuffed my pillow over my ears and curled up on my seat. After about three hours, Billy shook me awake.

"Are we there yet?" I said, jolting upright.

"No, but they're playing your song!" He exclaimed. My smile widened when I heard the familiar whistle of Rockin' Robin by Bobby Day.

"He rocks in the treetops, all day long, hopping and a bopping and a singing his song! All the little birds on jay bird street, love the way the robin go tweet tweet tweet!" I sang with my family. I connected all the voices and made it amazing, in my opinion. We sang throughout the whole ride, we completely forgot about lunch or dinner. My mom drove into a McDonald's parking lot and we jumped onto the burning asphalt.

"I think this is melting away my shoes." I said, touching the black ground with my finger. It burned just to touch it in the slightest. I sprung up and ran inside. My family came in shortly after me. Billy and I sat in a booth and our parents brought over four hamburgers and four Cokes. I dove into my food and sucked back my Coke like it was my last meal. All of a sudden, I really had to pee. I got up and walked out through the door. What I saw was horrifying. The sinks were taken up by almost every teen in this town, all applying make-up. I slowly backed up and ran. I sat back down.

"That was quick." My dad said.

"It's scary in there." I said. "I'm holding it for the next half hour." We gathered our stuff and got back in the car. Luckily, my mom couldn't find any working radio stations so I fell asleep.


End file.
